Fixing timing issues on multitrack recording

[yentzee]

Hi!
I just started using hardware again and haven't used Live for audio so far so please bare with me if asking the obvious.

So I got a couple of synths with internal sequencers running. The octatrack is delivering the clock which then goes through a splitter to the other groove boxes as well as my laptop running live.

Now when recording into live I can see that the audio doesn't start on the 1 but is slightly delayed.

I tried adjusting the clock setoff in live but this really is a hassle and i thought that there must be a better way to get the results is want.

Now what I would like to do is cut exactly the same amount of audio of each audio track (as my bass drum track starts on the 1 but some other tracks (eg. snare, hats etc) don't so I have no reference how much to cut away) so everything just gets shifted forward. So I would use the bass drum track as reference for cutting and cut everything else there.

How am I going to do this (I recorded into the arrange window switching patterns on the hardware so I also would have to cut the audio to get the loops into session view)?

cheers,

jens

[Tarekith]

Just select all the audio clips at once, and drag their starting edge to where you want. They'll all move by the same amount.

[yentzee]

sounds too easy to be true. haha.

Another quick question. I noticed that the synths show different delay. I am using three electron boxes all synced by the octatrack through a midi splitter with the same cable length. still the bass drum of the analog 4 (not audible trigger signal for compressor) is slightly ahead of the bass drum of the analog rytm.
It isn't much and as far as I can tell not audible (at least to me) but it is still there. What might be the reason for that?
I am recording through over bridge and using the internal sound cards of the electron boxes (mtt or what it is called usb hub) which I thought should be the same.
Processing does take place after the recording so shouldn't have any impact on the timing of the audio recording.
Is it the sequencers, instability of midi clock?
Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jens

[Tarekith]

No idea to be honest. If I can't hear it these days I just move on

[yentzee]

Probably the best thing to do.

[recyclinglostcities]

Hey, I'm using a few Elektron boxes synced to Ableton Live along with the rest of my hardware studio. I recently worked out the sync between both worlds, so maybe I can give you some ideas through the process I went through. First off, I'm using Live as the master as it tends to play nicer as master than as slave, and I'm going for the path of least resistance. I use a couple of old Emagic midi interfaces, and have sync selected only on output 1 which feeds the Octatrack (at least with my interface, selecting output sync on more than one output causes clock doubling). My other Elektrons are running in a midi chain from the OT thru port, and everything else more or less is connected to the other midi outputs on the Emagics.

To work out the sync, I set up a 4/4 kick drum on both Live and the OT, and in the sync delay settings in Live's midi menu for my Octatrack on output 1, I adjusted the delay MS by MS until the two could remain locked and on point over time without noticeable drift. It took me an afternoon about a month ago, and it has been very solid ever since, usually within about .1-.2 MS at worst. Occasionally I do see drift of up to .4 on devices further down the chain, but I have yet to actually see/hear it create noticeable latency issues. Kind of a game changer to be able to use it all together, so I recommend putting in the hassle to work it out